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The New Theory Behind Affirmations

Before you can hope to master the universe, however, you must learn to master yourself, and so we will end with a return to the more personal level, and a popular theory from internationally-respected neuroscientist, Candace Pert, Ph.D. Her theories, based on her discovery of opiate receptors – cellular binding sites for brain endorphins – and her further laboratory research, may explain exactly how your thoughts and affirmations create your personal reality.

What follows provides a completely different perspective on why we must watch our thoughts at all times and try to maintain a healthy, positive mental attitude.

This first part is fact. Human beings are made up of around 50 trillion eukaryote cells, which are cells with a nucleus that carries our DNA. The fact that each of these does carry DNA means that each one contains the equivalent of all the body’s functional systems – nervous, circulatory, digestive, respiratory, excretory, endocrine, immune, muscle and skeletal, integument (skin), and reproductive. Each cell is a living organism in its own right, and has the capability to grow as a single entity when placed in a Petri dish. Consider the furore over stem-cell research at the moment because of its potential to essentially create human body parts.
Now to the crucial issue that impacts your affirmations – the popular theory of how these cell receptors may be responsible for your emotional make-up.

Pert believes that your emotions are triggered by a part of the brain called the hypothalamus, which is known to be responsible for certain metabolic processes and other activities of the Autonomic Nervous System. She believes that when your thoughts provoke an emotion, your hypothalamus creates a chemical that is matched to that particular emotion. These chemicals are called peptides, or neuropeptides, which are sequences of small chain amino acids – the building blocks of protein.

Each time you have a certain emotional thought, the hypothalamus releases the same related chemical into the bloodstream. It travels through your body and seeks out cells, each of which can have over 1000 receptor sites, some of which will be receptors for that particular peptide. When the peptide locks onto these sites, the proteins in the peptide are released into the cells and physically change their structure. The cells then create the given emotion throughout the body.

The more often a certain emotion is felt, the quicker the receptor sites are found on the cells and the quicker the emotion is experienced, and the deeper it is felt. This would clearly have catastrophic consequences if the emotions we feel most of the time are negative. This may be why depression can take hold so quickly and be so hard to lift out of.

But remember where this all starts: as a thought in our mind.

Here’s the theory simplified

* You have an emotional thought
* Your hypothalamus releases an appropriate peptide
* That peptide enters the bloodstream
* It locks onto cell receptor sites
* It enters the cell and alters its structure
* We feel the emotion

However, the power of positive affirmations does not stand or fall on the ultimate proving or disproving of any theory. No matter what causes affirmations to work, they do work.

Always remember: Your thoughts can change your life. Positive affirmations have the power to bring about the circumstances in your life that will allow you to become the successful person you always desired to be.